To Bare Witness
by Sapphire Midnight
Summary: After witnessing a murder, Kaoru is forced into hiding at a University-as a boy. With a loud-mouthed roommate and new friends that feel more like family, will Kaoru be able to stay safe from that which hunts her? K/K San/Meg M/Ao
1. Another Day

I'm hoping to keep this story short, but we'll see what happens. Thanks for reading~!

_I do not own Rurouni Kenshin_

**To Bare Witness**

**Ch. 1**

The day was looking bright, despite it being late October, and Kaoru appreciated the light, crisp breeze that cooled the sweat gathered upon her body from her last class of the day—_kendo. _She grinned to herself. College life at this University really wasn't that bad—for all it had only been a month since she had been here. At first, the idea had repulsed her. Who in their right mind _wouldn't _be incredulous about the prospect, even if one's very life was in danger? After all, she had already graduated just a year prior.

So _why_ was she putting herself through more agony in going to, not _grad _school, but a University in which she was enrolled as an undergraduate all over again?

Simple.

_Her very life was in danger._

It didn't feel real, now, however, since a month had passed without further mishap. She was actually quite startled to find herself so completely immersed in living the college life that she didn't have time to worry about what would happen if she was discovered. Her nightmares had almost stopped altogether, which was a great relief for both her mental _and _physical state of being.

Shaking her head at where her thoughts led on such a calm day, Kaoru pulled out the magnetic key to her dorm and waved it before the keypad, hearing a small sound of the lock popping open before she allowed herself into her dorm. She headed automatically toward the stairs, dismissing the elevator completely as she made her way to the third floor and consequently—her dorm room. It was odd, living in a new dorm, at a new University, when she thought this stage of her life was over. It was odder _still _that this double life of hers seemed to fit to her living style so seamlessly—as if this was a place where she _belonged. _As if her new _friends _here were—

"Aw, come _on _Sano, just let me see it!"

_Family._

Kaoru paused just outside the door to her room, head cocked slightly to the side as her hand hovered over the knob. She stared blankly at the two names on the door—her name, followed by her roommate's.

"No _way, _Misao! Ugf!" A grunt was heard, followed by a small, more feminine squeak, and Kaoru closed her eyes, praying silently that at least _her _side of the room was not in shambles.

"Please please please please _pleaaaaase?"_

Deciding enough was enough, Kaoru opened the door and quickly assessed the situation, hesitantly stepping into the room as her eyes landed on a fumbling Sanosuke gritting his teeth in a grimace as Misao continued to elbow and smack and knee him as she attempted to reach for what looked like a small piece of paper Sanosuke was holding out of her reach.

And they were both standing on one of the flimsy twin mattresses the school dubbed was a bed.

Walking over to her _own _bed, Kaoru raised both brows in amusement as she continued to watch, her decision in simply remaining a spectator coming to an end when a laugh escaped her, and both pairs of eyes quickly snapped in her direction.

"It's not what it looks like…" Sano ground out, trepidation masking the grumbling of his tone.

"Oh, it's _exactly _what it looks like!" Misao ground out, turning her attention back to the oaf pressing himself up against the wall as he tried to get away from the small girl. She began jumping up and down on the bed, attempting to grab what he held out of reach, and Sanosuke's brown eyes widened comically at the sounds the squeaking bedsprings made as they protested.

"H-hey now…"

Feeling a giggle bubble up her throat, Kaoru felt her eyes widen in alarm and quickly transformed it into an amused cough as it escaped. Lifting laughing blue eyes up to her friends, she asked, "Why don't you give it up, Misao? There's no _way _you're getting that back from him unless he gives it to you." Adding with a twisting of her lips, "You're too short."

"Hey!"

"_Hey! _I'll have you know, I did _not _steal this from the Weasel, got that? _She's _trying to steal it from _me!"_

Kaoru sat back on her bed, reclining back on her elbows as she watched them go at it. Her expression showed she was having _waaaay _too much fun with this.

"Kao_-ru! _Help a girl out!" Misao wailed, flailing again as her gangly limbs continued to wreak havoc on Sano's poor, hunched form.

If only she had a camera…hmm…

Looking around her room, trying to remember where she misplaced it, Misao's next words got the reaction out of Kaoru she had been hoping for.

"He's holding a picture of his _girlfriend!"_

All movement froze in the room for a good three seconds, and then Kaoru's calculatingly cool gaze slowly returned to the position her two friends were in. Misao's oceanic eyes watched her with uncertainty, hope and determination in the girl's strong bearing as she waiting with baited breath for whether or not Kaoru would assist her. _Sano _on the other hand went stock still as his face drained of all color, worriedly guarded brown eyes standing out vibrantly against his too-white face.

"Now… w-wait a minute…" He began, eyes quickly and frantically darting around the room to rest on the still open door. It was too late. Kaoru already had all the information she needed.

"_Attack!" _She cried, lunging from her spot on the bed to help Misao wrestle Sano to the ground—which was proving to be no easy feat.

Misao squealed gaily as laughter bubbled within her chest, and Sano's frustrated roar was loud enough that Kaoru was sure the entire _building _heard his displeasure.

Suddenly another presence stood at the entryway to their room, and Kaoru stilled, hanging suspended from Sanosuke's right arm as she turned to see a familiar pair of violet eyes, confusion and surprise in the red-head's gaze.

"What's going on in here?"

The voice was soft, almost hesitant, and Kaoru felt herself shivering at his tone as it seemingly slid over and caressed her body. Biting her lip, wishing her heartbeat would slow from its sudden fluttering, rapid pace, she dropped her gaze to the floor and hesitantly released Sano's arm. Misao blinked repeatedly, then sighed loudly and sent Sano a foreboding glare before she released him as well. She knew her fun was over now that Kaoru had relinquished.

"Hmph. _Finally." _Sanosuke, however, knew when to take certain advantage of a situation. He quickly pulled out his wallet, stashed his girlfriend's picture—which Kaoru wasbetting was a fake—and hid the wallet out of sight.

Lifting her gaze to the red-head before her, Kaoru offered a rather small smile, which he seemed to take as some signal that he could enter. He walked in with ease, eyes bright with amusement as Sano continued to gruffly grumble and sulk—they all knew it was all bluster—and Kenshin lightly punched the young man's arm, only to have to gesture returned.

"Aw, Kenshin! You always ruin all the fun! Kaoru and I almost had it!" Misao, on the other hand, let it be known that Kenshin was not to be forgiven so easily. She puffed her cheeks out and released a huff of air before angrily throwing her hands up in the air at the red-head's look of complete incomprehension.

"_Men! _I'm outta here!" The petite young woman stormed past Kaoru on her rush out the door, and Kaoru's lips quirked up once more at the show of emotions Misao never attempted to hide or deflect. Kaoru softly and lovingly shook her head at the girl's antics. Forcing down the rapid pulse swimming through her, Kaoru attempted to halt the oddly rising blush to her cheeks before she allowed herself to lift her eyes to meet Kenshin's concerned ones—eyes that constantly seemed to be seeking hers out as of late.

"Don't worry, Kenshin, Misao's curiosity simply got the best of her. She'll forget all this even happened in an hour or so." Her lips turned up into a genuine smile. She always seemed to be smiling around these people. It was… _nice._

Comprehension dawned, and Kenshin nodded his head as the very worry in his eyes dissipated completely, leaving his eyes a much lighter shade. "I see."

Bobbing her head in some form of nod in return, Kaoru averted her gaze and wondered at the silent awkwardness that now seemingly hung in the room. Sano was off sulking in the corner of the room, slouched at a desk that looked too small for his long limbs. Wincing, Kaoru was once again aware of her sweat-soaked skin from practice, and cursed the fact that she'd have to wait until two o'clock in the morning to finally shower.

"How was your kendo class today?"

She tried to hide her grimace. She hoped she succeeded. Why did he always make things difficult for her? Why did he always have to be so polite all the time?

Why the _hell _did she have to have a _crush _on her floor's Resident Assistant?

…Was she really just like all the other giggling, tittering, _phony _girls of their hall? She had more _important _things to occupy her mind with.

Didn't she?

"It was really good! I learned quite a bit today. It was a nice change of pace—put up quite a sweat." She smirked, suddenly trying to keep her tone of voice lazy as she leaned against the nearest piece of furniture. "Probably don't smell too pretty, now that I think about it, but what's a guy to do?" She gave a one-armed shrug, still attempting to keep her cocky-tough guy attitude, and hoped it was successful.

"…I see."

"Himura. Rounds."

Another young man came to the door, dark hair falling into clear-blue eyes as he regarded the redhead aforementioned. The man's face showed no hint of emotion, or any indication as to what he might me thinking. He was gorgeous, Kaoru gave him that, but the man was literally and seemingly totally withdrawn from the world, and honestly used to make her feel very uncomfortable, until she saw the way Kenshin interacted with him. Most of the girls in all four halls stopped attempting to flirt with him in a matter of a single week.

But _most girls _weren't _Misao._

"Ah, yes. That time already? If you two will excuse me?" Kenshin's eyes flickered to Sano first, then landed on Kaoru and he hesitated briefly before moving toward the door. Kaoru held her breath. Did he suspect? He _couldn't_… could he? The smallest trickling of unease swept her frame, and she chewed along the inside of her lip. _Why _had things suddenly become so different between them, though, these last couple of days? _Why _was there this feeling of uncertainty and hesitance in the air whenever they were near one another?

Suddenly pulled from her worries, Kaoru blinked once when she realized the man at the doorway with piercing blue eyes had slanted his gaze her way. She paled at the intensity of it, air caught and solidified in her lungs.

"Kato-san…"

Kaoru stared blankly, eyes glazed as panic started to overwhelm her at the possibility of what discovery would mean for her. She visibly shook herself.

Oh. Yes. Kato-san. That was _her _now.

"I've told you before, Aoshi," She managed, a small smile attempting to hide the panic hidden behind her gaze. "You can call me Kaoru. All the others do," She pressed, truly hoping that he would finally accept, and call her as she pleased. That way she wouldn't falter when he called for her.

"Hn."

Keeping her expression as blank as the blankest sheet of paper, eyes as open and innocent and vacant of any real thought as she could manage, she continued. "You had something to say?"

Kenshin was watching the exchange with a small, worried furrow to his brow, but Kaoru pushed that knowledge to the furthest reaches of her mind. She could only focus all her attention on one of their strong presences at a time.

"Aa. Ass-foolery does not become you. You've been spending too much time with that oaf." His chin jutted in Sano's direction, and said man promptly leapt out of his chair angrily, denial and accusations on his tongue. The tall, dark-haired RA from the floor above was already walking away, however, and didn't seem the least bit interested in anything Sanosuke had to refute.

Holding hands up in supplication, Kenshin's expression looked somewhat pained as he attempted to dissolve the situation, keeping an enraged Sano from marching out into the hall and starting a fight. The red-haired RA kept worriedly glancing towards where Kaoru stood gaping after the stoic Aoshi. Her internal debate of whether or not she should _also _attempt to march after said man and give him _hell, _but ultimately Kaoru couldn't move to plant one foot in front of the other, she was so shocked.

Had that been… some kind of back-handed compliment concerning her personality? She stood speechless.

"_Himura." _The voice echoed from down the hall.

Seeing Kenshin glance back over his shoulder in slight agitation to where his fellow RA had disappeared to, Kaoru let out a long suffering sigh and moved to help him.

"You go. You've got responsibilities to tend to. I'll watch this buffoon."

Seeing Kenshin hesitate for a moment, she pressed on. "Go _on. _Aoshi's not going to be fun to deal with later if you keep him waiting. I got it. Promise. Now _go!" _She grumbled at him a little more fiercely than she had probably needed, but it got the desired effect she was looking for.

"Alright, alright." Laughing slightly, the red-head relented, muscles relaxing as she elbowed and shouldered him toward the door.

She mock-growled at him. "Good. Now _go. _Don't come back until you've fulfilled all your special RA duties," She tried to sound stern, but knew he took her tone for teasing when he laughed. Her own tension was beginning to leave her at the sound, and she relaxed as well, finding a genuine smile lightly cross her lips.

"I'll see you later then." He breathed, his low tone once _again _doing odd things to her lower body. "Movie's in Aoshi's room tonight?"

She grinned. She couldn't help it. "Yeah. We're supposed to be watching his choice, but I wouldn't count on it. Be forewarned: Misao has claimed she'll be bringing an armload of all her favorites."

She saw him wince and snickered. He was walking backwards, after all, attention solely focused on her. "Ah."

She grinned cheekily. "Don't worry. Next week's choice is mine. I'll try to make up for whatever horrors happen tonight." It was so easy. Talking to him. Grinning at him. Bantering with him. Her heart did a small flip, and she forced any special feelings rising within her to a complete and utter standstill after taking note of that odd look once again present in his eyes.

She brushed it off.

"Although…" She tapped a slender finger against pursed lips in a pretense of contemplated thought. She missed the flash of gold that stole across a certain RA's amethyst eyes in that moment.

Good thing, too.

"I must say, that while I don't hold grudges, I _do _like getting even. If Sanosuke doesn't shape up, I may have to torture him through film." She grinned triumphantly, slanting a gaze over her shoulder at him, suddenly wondering _why _the tall young man had been so quiet all this time. "So I'm sorry if you end up getting in the crossfire Ken…shi…"

Her eyes widened, and she gasped in positive _horror _at the sight behind her. Sanosuke. With a _water gun _of all things, pointed _straight at her. _

Leaning against his dresser cockily, the man smirked, feigning disinterest yet issuing challenge as he pushed himself away from the armoire and turned his heated gaze to hers. "You were saying, tanuki?"

She gulped, backing away first one step, then another. "H-hey! _Sano! _We're _indoors! _And I'm not even _armed! _You'd attack a poor, defenseless person just like _that? _Some _man _you are! Where's your sense of honor?"

Little did she know, she was digging her own grave. The muscle in his jaw began to tick as he closed his eyes for a minute. In that amount of time Kaoru quickly turned her worried gaze to a frozen Kenshin who seemed torn between what was going on here, and duties he knew he must attend to.

"Catch."

"Huh?" Kaoru turned back to face Sano again just in time to mechanically catch the small plastic mechanism tossed her way.

A water gun.

But it wasn't filled.

"_What?"_

"_You better run, tanuki, if you know what's good for you! No one steals _my _girlfriend!"_

The crazed yell issued behind her, but Kaoru didn't wait out all he yelled, she merely leapt into action, taking off out of her room and racing down the length of the hall, Kenshin pivoting and turning to match her pace and run at her side. Pathetic little squirts issue forth from the small water gun Sanosuke continued to shoot at them repeatedly, crazed laughter issuing forth from behind them.

"Aren't you going to get in trouble?" She yelled out at him, turning her attention to the other residents in the hall and yelling at them to move it or lose it.

Kenshin gave a sheepish laugh, not once attempting to pick up his speed or split courses with her. "Aoshi can manage this once, that he can."

"But Kenshin—"

He easily interrupted her. "I will make it up to him later, that I will."

Incredulous, Kaoru simply shook her head as the stairwell came into view, and they both burst through the door and took off down the stairs two at a time, Sano right on their trail.

"We should lead him outside, that we should," Kenshin stated, raising his voice just enough to be heard above the laughter now echoing and ringing loudly within the stairwell.

"Shit, I doubt Sano closed and locked the door!" Kaoru grumbled under her breath, and Kenshin's worried gaze flicked once over to hers before his mouth firmed in a grim line.

"The gun is small. The ammunition won't last long." A tone of voice she rarely heard from her soft-spoken Kenshin. It was short wording, the sentences clipped. Brow furrowing, Kaoru now understood where some of the rumors about Aoshi and Kenshin were coming from. Perhaps they really _had _served in the military during some point in their lives…

Huffing, Kaoru pushed those thoughts away. They were unwanted, and she didn't _care _about what made two of the RAs in her part of the building so mysterious. If they wanted to talk about it, they would. If they didn't… it didn't _matter. _

"Damn that Sanosuke! If anyone steals anything of mine, he damn well better own up!" She grumbled under her breath, hearing a soft chuckle from her left as they burst though the door on the ground floor and out into the open air, Sano a few simple paces behind them.

"You hear that, Sagara?" Kaoru yelled at the behemoth chasing them. "You are one dead man after this! You know, I think I'll like having the room to myself, what do you say?" She smirked across at Kenshin, leaning forward to whisper, "Why haven't I thought of this before?"

And with Kenshin's light laughter, Kaoru finally gave in to the feeling bubbling forth from her chest and let out her own. Gone was the tainted memory of blood spilling onto the earth. Gone was a boy's ever-smiling face. Gone was the constant worry of whether or not her feelings for Kenshin were as see-through as she stressed about. Only one worry continued to niggle at the back of her mind. One fact of truth this whole situation buffeted her with time and time again.

The fact that she, Kamiya Kaoru, was now supposed to be a _boy._

And that fact that she, Kato Kaoru… could _not _fall for _anyone _while in such a situation—_especially _not her RA. For anyone to find out who she was would be suicide. At least, that is what she was told. _No _one was to know where she was—or what she saw. _No one _was to know that Kato Kaoru was a _girl. _For Makoto Shishio had ears _everywhere._

Or at least, that is what Private Investigator Hajime Saitou had assured.


	2. Vulnerability

Thank you for the reviews, guys! I am hoping another chapter will enable you all to get a better idea of where I intend to go with this! Hope you like it!

_I do not own Rurouni Kenshin._

**To Bare Witness**

**Ch. 2**

"Guys, you're _squishing _me! Sano, move your big butt! _I _get to sit next to Aoshi-sama!"

Grinning and grumbling and bumbling around like a bunch of idiots, the five people taking up space on the two twin mattresses pushed together in Aoshi's room finally rearranged themselves to the petite girl's wishes. Kaoru shook her head and grinned with mirth. _How _a girl such as Misao had such control over these boys was beyond her, but she supposed Kaoru must include herself in on that as well, now.

"Himura, your head's in the way!" Misao grumbled out, and Kaoru was beginning to wonder if they'd get to watch _any _of the movie tonight.

"Ah! I'm sorry, but there is no room for me to move, that there is not," Kenshin replied sheepishly, his tone sounding slightly panicked at the thought of evoking the small woman's wrath.

"There is _too _room! Look! Kaoru has the entire edge of the bed over there to himself!" Misao flopped over Kaoru's lap, motioning to the mere six inches of space on Kaoru's other side. "Stop sitting at our feet and _join _us!"

Hanging his head at the girl's tone, Kenshin cast a sheepish look at Kaoru before crawling his way across the bed and over to her. Fighting desperately to keep her blushing down, Kaoru poked and nudged Misao's side until the girl was practically squished against Aoshi's side, and loving every minute of it. Kaoru felt heat in her cheeks as Kenshin situated himself up against her side, keeping her head ducked until he finally settled.

"I am sorry if I cause any discomfort to you, that I am," he murmured softly, to which Kaoru quickly shook her head.

"It's okay, Kenshin." She wouldn't meet his gaze, but could feel his heatedly boring into the side of her face. Her steadfast stare remained directly before her, and she tried to focus on what it was they were watching. Kenshin's shoulder overlapped and pressed against her own—which had to have been in no way comfortable for him. For Kaoru, on the other hand, it was agonizing torture. Feeling the heat and nearness of the young man she was attracted to teased her frazzled senses. As time ticked by, however, the slight throbbing pain from her tightly bound chest transformed into intense stabbing pain where his weight leaning into and against her. She soon found herself wincing at the discomfort and holding her breath, wishing for nothing short of a thorough stretch and lengthy reprieve.

Maybe she should excuse herself, and take advantage of her roommate's absence to unbind her chest while he was gone?

_Stupid. _She couldn't take chances like that. What if he came back early to her room? She couldn't allow herself _any _small chance at exposure.

Movement at her side pulled her from her thoughts, and Kaoru leaned forward a bit unconsciously as Kenshin made a big move to stretch bunched muscles. When his arms can down once more Kaoru relaxed back into position—only to stiffen slightly and wonder at the arm braced around her back. She sat frozen, brow furrowed as she took stock of her and Kenshin's new position, before casting a surreptitious glance his way, scanning the planes of his face for any sign of thought behind those eyes of his.

She must have stared for longer than she intended, because Kenshin finally sighed and moved his face close to her ear, his eyes never leaving the screen of the television before them.

"You were getting sore, that you were. That position wasn't comfortable for either of us. Please relax and enjoy the movie…"

Biting the inside of her cheek, Kaoru scanned the faces of their companions and realized the softness of Kenshin's voice in her ear must have gone unnoticed. She didn't try to stop the blush spreading over her face—she simply hoped the near darkness of the room would allow her time for it to subside on its own. She nodded into Kenshin's shoulder, and forced her muscles to relax against him. It was nice—this feeling. It made the blood in her veins tremble in an entirely pleasant way.

She wouldn't put too much thought into the situation. She wouldn't look into things that weren't there. She didn't realize, halfway through the movie, that she had turned into Kenshin's warmth and closed her eyes. She didn't realize she had fallen asleep, nor did she see Kenshin's gaze soften as his lids slid closed in response to her even breathing.

….

"Shhh! You're gonna wake him!"

Kaoru felt funny. Her consciousness drifted in and out as she heard voices whispering and someone positively cackle.

"It's late. The poor little guy probably got really tuckered out at his kendo practice. Huh."

Something wasn't right with that statement, And Kaoru's brows scrunched together with a frown as she debated refuting that comment. She had studied kendo for _years _after all! She was an assistant _Master! _But… it seemed like too much work to open her eyes, to say anything at all. Besides, something seeming particularly like a warning tickled her tired brain, and so she pushed all thought aside. She would say nothing at all.

The furrow to her brow eased at this decision, and Kaoru seemed quite content to allow sleep to overtake her tired form.

"I'll take him. Sano? If you'll get the door?"

A loud guffaw nearly made Kaoru start, and her face once again scrunched in on itself. She desperately wanted to _sleep. _What was with the racket?

"_You'll _carry him? No offense Kenshin, but you're…" The unruly masculine voice trailed away and Kaoru shivered at the eerie feeling that suddenly tightened around the room.

"I may be small in stature, Sanosuke, but I am definitely strong enough to do this simple task, that I am."

Kaoru felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand down, and she relaxed. Suddenly the world titled and a weird sound escaped the back of her throat. Silence permeated the room, and Kaoru smiled and sank into the silence and warm arms supporting her thankfully.

"Besides, someone must unlock the door to your room, that they must, and you are the only one here who can do that."

The low voice vibrated against the side of Kaoru's face, and she wondered why her warm pillow was talking. She nuzzled into her pillow, feeling soft heat caress her nose and lips, and sighed, hazy mind not picking up on the two arms that tensed and gripped her just a bit more tightly.

"I guess… he's even littler than _you _are…" The brotherly voice grumbled, and soft noises were heard before there was a shuffling and the opening of a door.

"Misao. Stop this immediately. I know you are awake, and it is time to go to your own dorm room."

Silence.

"_Misao."_

"Hmm? Wha-? Oh. Is the movie already over, Aoshi-sama?"

"Hn."

"I guess… I better be going, then…"

_She sounded so sad…_

…

"Sanosuke…"

"So. Do you…"

"I don't think…"

"….ahaha…"

"…oro?"

Sounds penetrated, but meaning remained unclear. Kaoru's mind drifted, and she felt as though she was a sea vessel floating on the smoothest of waves, on the warmest of nights. She smiled.

"Ah, Sano… I really don't think…"

"Aw, come _on. _It's no big deal. The little guy will probably have a _fit _if we don't…"

Something prickled at her sleeping mind. Her warning signs were blaring, instead of the simple tickling sensation from before. Perhaps she needed to pay more attention. But her brain was so exhausted…

"It's just _clothes, _Kenshin. Besides. We're all men, here."

_**Warning! Warning! Warning!**_

With a gasp, Kaoru realized she had best _not _stay asleep for the rest of this. It took her three tries to get her eyes to pull open, and when they finally _did…_

Cool air caressed the skin at her legs. Sano… had just pulled down her _pants!_

"Sanosuke you idiot! You—you _pervert! _What the hell do you think you're _doing?" _Thank _kami _she was wearing boys' boxers! She wanted to kill him!

A very unapologetic chuckle commenced. "What? You were asleep on your feet. All I was gonna do was remove your pants and shirt so you could sleep in your boxers. I was being _nice, _thinking you'd want to be _comfortable!"_

Her mouth opened and closed like a gaping fish. Sanosuke clearly didn't seem to think there was a problem. Which must have been good in some small aspect, since it meant her cover hadn't been blown. If she hadn't woken when she _had, _however…

"You…_idiot! Don't _go unclothing people unless you have their _permission! _You… _blockhead! _Go… unclothe your _girlfriend _or something, and stay the hell away from _me!"_

Sanosuke was merely chuckling at the situation however, and Kaoru was afraid that if she didn't turn her attention from her sordid roommate then, she would see another dead body during her lifetime, and this time she'd be to blame.

"_You!" _

So… she rounded in on the only other person present in the room.

"O-oro?"

She stalked towards the poor red-haired man, very awake now, and glared darkly as she pointed her finger into his chest and poked and prodded him with each of her enunciated words.

"What exactly were _you _doing when all this was going on, _huh? _What did _you _do to stop the situation?"

Kenshin was beginning to look _very _uneasy at the situation, and actually found himself backing away from the enraged person before him, his heart doing odd flips inside his chest.

"Th-this one… was…"

"I _thought _so! You did nothing! I was at my most vulnerable, and he could have done _anything _he wanted, and you did _nothing!"_

"Now wait just a minute," Sanosuke started, tone deepening into something to be considered almost a reprimand.

At that same moment, Kenshin stumbled over his own words. "But… it wasn't anything untoward! He was merely helping you get changed, that he was. It's like he said, he only wanted you to be comfortable—"

"Ugh! _No one _undressed me but me, _got that?" _She demanded, throwing her hands into the air.

"Is that how it is?" Kaoru didn't like the sound of her roommate's tone just then. Slowly, she turned to glance warily at his easily smirking form. "Was there a challenge in that somewhere, tanuki?"

She gulped. "I don't…I don't know what you're talking about."

He slowly stalked toward her. "You're being awfully secretive lately. And you freak out at the most minor of things." He closed his eyes with a pained twisting of his lips, and cracked his knuckles. "Does someone need to be taught a lesson?" He opened his eyes just then, and Kaoru paled visibly at the look he sent her.

_Her._

"Now Sano…" And then Kenshin was between her and her roommate, and Kaoru shook with relief. She never considered how dangerous it could be to get on the wrong side of Sanosuke Sagara. He's never hurt a girl, true, but… he didn't know that's what she _was. _She shuddered.

"Get outta my way, Kenshin. The tanuki here needs to learn some _respect. _Or—" And he lunged around the shorter man, grabbing a fistful of Kaoru's shirt instead of her shoulder as she attempted to duck and twist away. "At least let me get _even!"_

The threat of possible discovery, along with the horror-filled memories of Sanosuke's version of 'getting even' caused Kaoru's frazzled mind to pitter out for all of three seconds, before she grabbed her shirt at her chest and clung to the fabric with every ounce of strength she had.

"Stop it! This isn't funny, Sanosuke!" Mind reaching for something, _any _tangible excuse, Kaoru finally clenched her eyes together tightly, feeling the first beginning of tears threaten, as she yelled out, _"I have scars!"_

…

_That _seemed to do the trick. A little _too _effectively.

Sanosuke's energy plummeted, and all sound and movement in the room came to a halt. Finally Sanosuke's soft voice reached out to her, and she really wished it hadn't.

"…Is that true, tanuki?"

She bit her lip. Could she deal with the questions they might ask her? The looks of pity that might come along in response to her lie?

She sighed. If it saved her life, then yes. Besides. It wasn't a _complete _lie. She might have _one _scar. On her back. She was too terrified to check and see.

"Yes…" Her voice was whisper-soft. Defeated.

Kenshin Himura's eyes burned gold.


	3. One Uppance

Hey all~! Thank you so much for reading, and for your reviews! Rurouni Kenshin is an all-time favorite of mine, and now that I have gotten back into writing I can't help but want to write all different kinds of stories with my favorite characters. In case any were wondering, this story will continue in chapter installments. Each one will be a moment in time during their college days, so it won't be written out in continuous segments. Time _will pass _between chapters—some times a few hours, to a day, to a week. It'll depend.

Anyway, thanks for reading, and please tell me what you think~!

_**Responses to questions: **_The ages of Sano, Meg, Aoshi, and Kenshin are not quite determined yet, because even Kaoru doesn't know their ages yet. I will say that Sano is about the same age as Kaoru, and it's no secret that he took time off from school for a while, and thus will be graduating late. (That school year he will graduate if all goes according to plan.) Kenshin and Aoshi have been rumored to have served time in the military, and thus the students living in the halls believe they served their time, and are now going through school a little late in the game. I will go into _much _further details, and more rumors will be heard with time. This story will be a little longer than I first thought, but it doesn't sound like anyone will be disappointed by that. So thank you, and enjoy!

P.S. Kaoru does not know if anyone knows she is a girl, but I tried to make it subtly obvious that, had Kenshin known, he would most certainly _not _have let Sanosuke begin undressing her. ~.^ Hahaha! Enjoy~!

_I do not own these Rurouni Kenshin characters~_

**To Bare Witness**

**Ch. 3**

Kaoru sighed for the fifth time in the past two hours. Almost a solid _week _had passed after the horrendous near mishap involving Kaoru finding her idiotic roommate having unwittingly _pantsed _her, and ever since she had mentioned the 'scars,' both Sano and Kenshin seemed to be watching her more than they normally had in the past. They were treating her as if she was a fragile figurine made of thin glass, and she was starting to get frustrated with their extra care around her, and the unrelenting way their eyes followed her whenever they were in the same room. She would have tried to beat their heads in if it hadn't been her own panicked mind that brought this upon her in her moment of near-discovery. Even _Aoshi _seemed to be sometimes watching her like a hawk, now.

_Aoshi._

When she found out which one of them spilled she was going to…

"Are you gonna finish that?"

"Huh?" Kaoru blinked, Sano's gravelly voice suddenly next to her ear as he leaned in and peered over her shoulder at the food on her plate. He reached for something on her plate, and Kaoru smacked his hand away, finally returning from her thoughts.

"Sano, I paid for this with my own money. Where's _your _food?"

"Gone." He looked sheepish, and Kaoru raised an eyebrow.

"What he _means _to say is he ate it in all of _two minutes." _Misao piped up from her spot around the table their group was currently occupying.

At least _Misao _hadn't been treating her any differently as of late. Kaoru only hoped no one _else _would hear the tale about her scars, or ask to see them, for that matter.

Like Kenshin. A very… _different _Kenshin, with a softly controlled low voice and persistently strong, unrelenting hands. He hadn't been able to look at her after she told him. She wondered if he was ashamed for her. His concern said otherwise, however, and it was both nerve-wracking and slightly comforting to know he seemingly cared so much about what had happened. She shuddered. She almost hadn't been able to get him to drop it, having finally claimed exhaustion so she could curl up in bed and go to sleep. Sano had simply remained eerily silent, arms crossed and watching Kenshin and her in a way that made her wonder why he could seemingly be so observant in times where she wished he _wasn't. _

Maybe they'd forget eventually…?

_Wishful thinking…_

"Hey! It's not _my _fault the portion sizes aren't built for men of my stature!" Sano gloated, causing a few of his friends to chuckle and Misao to raise her eyebrows.

"These portion sizes are _huge!" _The petite girl carried on, incredulous. "You just eat enough food for _six people!"_

Kaoru cackled as a low grumble escaped Sanosuke. Kenshin, whom had remained quiet so far, choked on his food.

"What are you tryin' to say, you Weasel? That I'm a _pig?"_

"If the hoof fits…" Kaoru muttered lowly under her breath, but her friends still heard her.

"_WHAT?" _Sano roared, going red in the face as he slammed his palm down flatly on the top of their table and glared across at her.

Misao hooted with laughter while Kenshin had a mild coughing fit into his napkin. Aoshi sat, eating quietly and elegantly, non-pulsed, while Kaoru simply grinned pleasantly at Sano's thunderous expression.

"Kaoru, you are going to find some _nasty _surprises waiting for you in your bed tonight…" Sano growled out threateningly.

Narrowing her eyes, Kaoru tried to determine if he was bluffing. "You _know _I'll sic _Kenshin _on you. Then you had better feel bad if he ends up doing mountains of paper work writing you _up!"_

"O-oro? Ah… Kaoru… Sano… maybe we can… try to make peace?" Kenshin placated rather pathetically, looking quite uneasy all of a sudden.

"Why you _dirty, rotten _Tanuki!" Sano muttered, hands now clenched atop the table.

Kaoru beamed. "Why _yes, _Kenshin… I _do _think that would be for the best," Kaoru breathed out in saccharine tones, triumphant smile never leaving her face as her eyes remained locked on Sanosuke's.

Suddenly Sano smirked, and Kaoru's indigo orbs narrowed.

"Hey Tanuki… guess who's coming to visit me?"

Kaoru didn't say a word, but both Kenshin and Misao's interests were piqued.

"Who?" Misao asked, having finished with taking a swig of her soda.

"Is it anyone we know?" Kenshin wondered lightly.

Sano's smirk widened, and Kaoru had a feeling she would not like whatever was about to come out of his mouth. "My girlfriend, Meg. And she's staying with _us," _Sano rubbed in, crossing his arms, expression clearly stating he won this round.

Dark brows kissed in confusion on Kaoru's face, and she slowly shook her head. "And here Misao and I thought the rumored Megumi was all a figment of your imagination." She shook her head, applauding herself mentally at the dark frown that now crossed Sano's face. Her confusion remained however, and she tilted her head to one side.

"What's so bad about that?" Misao asked, once again sipping at her coke.

Kaoru wondered with her, giving a light shrug. "It'll be nice to finally meet her, though I will have to wonder at which screws are loose for her to agree to dating _you…" _She paused deliberately, and Sano's outraged shout filled the silence predictably. Kaoru chuckled. "But we won't hold that against her. After all, we're your _friends, _so we must be missing a few screws, too."

Kenshin chuckled, and Kaoru felt a pleased blush stain her cheeks. She wouldn't glance over at him, though. He did odd things to her chest, and belly. And she could feel his eyes on her. Breathing was suddenly very difficult. She knew she'd see warmth and darkness and heat and things she didn't understand in his partially guarded gaze. So right now—like this—she would ignore it, when she knew she wasn't strong enough to not do something crazy.

"So, why are you grinning like you've got one up on the world, Sanosuke?" Misao finally drawled, though her concentration was settled on a silent Aoshi seated next to her.

"It's simple," he started out, taking a deep breath, crossing his arms, and letting out a self-satisfied smile as he released a soft sigh. "Sex."

Misao blinked. Aoshi glared. Kenshin stopped breathing, and Kaoru felt his hesitant gaze searing into the side of her head.

Kaoru's stomach plopped out from under her. "S-s-s-s-_sex?" _She cried out suddenly, turning a vibrant red and rising to both feet in horrified realization.

Then she realized how loud she had shouted 'sex,' in a cafeteria of at least fifty hormone-driven young adults, and she went white, quickly ducking back into her chair and attempting to make herself look as small as possible. When talk slowly began to pick up again, amidst a few chuckles, Kaoru found her voice.

"You are _not _having _sex _with your _girlfriend _in _our _room!" She hissed out between blenched teeth.

Sano raised an eyebrow, the sparkle in his eyes making Kaoru wish bodily harm upon his form. _And _his girlfriend's!

"You gonna be the one to pull us apart?" He taunted.

Kaoru went white, quickly rising to her feet and shaking her head in wide-eyed horror. _"Misao!" _She started, then stopped. She almost hadn't caught her blunder. Aoshi would have eaten her alive! "Don't listen to a _word _this rooster-head is saying! _Kenshin!" _The said young man snapped to attention, and Kaoru had to finally meet his eyes. She was lost in them before she knew it. Had they really held such a vibrantly violet color? She shook herself from her thoughts. "I'm sleeping in _your _room tonight!"

Then, with that, Kaoru marched away from their lunch table, missing the awkwardly nervous expression that consumed Kenshin's face as he stared after her, a light blush rising over his cheeks.

Aoshi returned to eating his food slowly and meticulously while Misao stared in confusion a moment, then shrugged before returning her attention to her soda.

"Heh." Sano let out the self-satisfied sound, eyes riveted to Kenshin's face, and the tell-tale signs he read there.

"Sano…" Kenshin's voice held a nervous, hesitant whimper to it Sanosuke Sagara had never heard before.

"Yes Kenshin?"

The red-head sighed, lowering his head and pinching the bridge of his nose. "I really do not think that was a good idea, that I do not." Silence met Kenshin's words, and when the third floor RA finally relaxed his tensed shoulders and met his friend's stare, Kenshin's eyes were serious. "Would you _really _go so far as having _sex _in your room with your roommate present? Would Miss _Megumi, _for that matter?"

Smirking, Sano gave a careless shrug. "The fox likes her privacy, and I haven't seen her for a while. Whether we have some fun or not, Meg would have gone to extreme lengths to get Kaoru to leave if she really wanted to—even if all we do is talk." Sano remained unrepentant, then chuckled with a knowing smirk sent Kenshin's way, at Kenshin's expense, no doubt.

"Besides…" The rooster continued, Kenshin not liking where this was going. "The tanuki doesn't need to know that."

Kenshin sighed, eyes closed and somewhat pained.

It was going to be a _looooong _night.

Sorry it was so short, guys! The next chapter will be longer, I promise. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it!


	4. Megumi and Newspapers

Hey all! Sorry for the delay. Life is crazy busy these days! I'll just get to answering questions and writing the newest chapter, shall I? As always, thanks for reading!

_**To my wonderful reviewers: **_Thank you kindly. You all bring so many smiles to my face! I love your interest and enjoyment of the story so far, and I am happy to see you're all trying to figure things out! Yes, the dorm is co-ed, and I am sorry to not have specifically stated as much. It is a four-floored building. Kenshin is the Resident Assistant on the third floor, where Sano and Kaoru's room is, Aoshi is the Resident Assistant on the fourth floor, and Misao is rooming with a random girl on the first floor. I will make a point to mention more of that in-story.

As for who knows and who does not, you will all just have to wait until all is revealed~! It'll be more entertaining that way. I will say most of you are on the right track. If anyone has any further questions, please say so in your review, or write me a personal message and I will get back to you as soon as I am able! Thank you!

Oh~! Also, as concerns the title, originally, I wanted it to be To Bear Witness, because of all the things I am ultimately going to be showing and telling you all about Kaoru, and how she is dealing with being Witness to a murder. _However, _I thought it would be a bit more intriguing to title the story from the murderer's point of view. The murderer _is, _after all, attempting to find Kaoru and tie up loose ends~. Therefore, said murderer must go about _baring _the witness, ne~? ~.^ It's strange logic, but then again, this is a strange fic. Haha!

I hope you enjoy~!

_I do not own Rurouni Kenshin._

**To Bare Witness**

**Ch. 4**

Cool, red-yellow rays from the setting sun gleamed through the large window of Misao's dorm room, lighting upon the two figures seated atop Misao's twin-sized bed as they worked on homework they knew wouldn't get done once Sano finally returned with his much talked about girlfriend. Misao's roommate was out—probably getting dinner with friends who wore too much make-up and too much perfume—so Misao and Kaoru were glad for the silence of the room for once, each dedicated to their work load.

For the time being.

Kaoru, thankfully, was only taking extra curricular courses, and therefore had to simply write a one-page essay about what she had learned so far in her kendo class, and compare it to some other form of martial art. Having completed the short paper in a rather timely manner, she found her blue eyes lifting to Misao's window, watching strangers pass by, and wondering when Kenshin and Aoshi might return from their RA meeting. Since Misao's dorm room was located on the first floor, in a position that overlooked both the entrance to her hall and entrance to the food area located in the center of the first floor of the building, Kaoru had a perfect vantage point for seeing the students whom were coming and going.

"Ugh! This is impossible! I _hate_ business classes!"

Blinking out of her stupor, Kaoru turned away from the window and looked at the petite woman sitting next to her, taking up the majority of the small bed with her notes, textbook, and laptop.

"What is it you're doing?" Kaoru asked, leaning over. She had happened to take a few business courses as well—though fun they were _not. _What she thought was a rational minor that would help her out in the world when looking for work had _really _turned into pained headaches and a last minute switch in minors—but maybe she could help the girl out, if she remembered anything.

"I'm taking _three _business courses this term. I already have most of my pre requisites out of the way, thanks to the upper division courses I took in high school, but this is _nuts! _I practically help _manage _my family's business at home, a restaurant called the Aoiya, and let me tell you, we do _not _need to memorize some of these accounting fractions! Business _management _I understand. _Marketing, _and _economics _I understand. But _accounting? _Ugh! I want to rip my hair out!" Misao's green eyes flashed, and she lifted both hands to the sides of her head, grabbing fistfuls of hair there as if to prove her point.

"_Misao!" _Kaoru reached for one of the girl's arms and shook her, trying to bring the girl out of her frustrated raving. Misao turned to her, gently releasing her fistfuls of hair and looking dazed and confused, strands of hair sticking up oddly in a rather humorous manner. _"Calm down…" _Kaoru reiterated, feeling her own stress levels lessen as the other girl thankfully took a deep lungful of air and let it all out. "Now. What is it you have to do exactly?"

The young woman pouted, turning back to her laptop to glare at the information on the screen. "I have to finish a stupid on-line quiz that's _timed, _by Friday at midnight, and I kind of conveniently skipped one of my classes this week, so I'm _screwed!" _The petite woman bemoaned, dramatically throwing herself to the side and landing sprawled in Kaoru's lap, her shoulders shaking slightly as she turned to giggle up at Kaoru after her theatrics.

Kaoru smiled and chuckled as well, glad Misao seemed to be in a little better spirits after her momentary rant. "It's Thursday today. You have _all _of tonight and tomorrow to complete it. I suggest looking on-line to see if your professor put the slides from the lecture up, and look through your textbook for all the bold words in the chapters you were supposed to cover, since I _know _you didn't do the reading, either," Kaoru reprimanded lightly, a small twitching of her lips showing she probably wouldn't have wanted to do the reading, either.

Snorting, Misao stretched from her sprawled position and quickly sat up. "Yeah, yeah. I'll get it done. I just don't want to miss any time I could be spending with _Aoshi-sama!" _The girl breathed, blushing, her expression one of doting affection and longing.

Kaoru snorted. "Yeah, yeah," She grinned with a wry twist of her lips, pushing the smaller girl for good measure, before rising to her feet. She knew Misao wouldn't be working in homework for a while now, with the state her mind was in. Suddenly Kaoru's small smile turned somewhat pained, and something dulled the light feeling in her chest. She realized then that she envied Misao—who was able to dote on and profess her attraction to the stoic man without qualm. Kaoru was never one to profess her attractions from rooftops, but it would have been nice to lead a _normal _life. One where a possible romantic future with a certain red-head would—

She shook herself from her thoughts.

Bad! _Bad, bad, bad! _She couldn't be thinking that way! Even a momentary lapse could oust her! She couldn't let her guard down if it might mean her life, no matter how dear to her these new friends were.

"Ooh! I know! I'll bring my homework to Aoshi's later, and he can help me!"

Kaoru tuned back to the energetic woman who leapt to her feet beside her, stars nearly visible in her shining emerald eyes. Kaoru shook her head and chuckled.

"Sure. _I _see how it is. Talk constantly about _one _guy in _another _guy's presence. I can take the hint…" Kaoru murmured teasingly, feigning slight hurt with her begrudging tone.

Misao shut down her laptop, moving her books and notes to her desk before heading to the door in unspoken agreement to do something else for a while. She cackled.

"There's only room enough for _one _man in my heart, and that's Aoshi-sama!"

Kaoru shook her head in good humor. Well, the energetic girl certainly did seem rather assured of that fact, she had to hand it to her.

Still, Kaoru staggered out into the hall as Misao closed and locked her door, clutching at her chest as if she might truly expire at the petite girl's words. "You wound me!" She gasped her words, earning a pleased and humored smile from her friend.

"Sorry, Kaoru, but you're not my type," Misao teased back, turning to walk towards the exit that would lead her to the cafeteria, and dismissing the other exit entirely. "Aoshi-sama is the only man for me~."

Kaoru chuckled, lowering her head slightly as she followed the other woman. _He's a lucky man, whether he realizes it or not… _Kaoru thought to herself, wondering if part of her should be hurt by Misao's easy dismissal. She laughed silently to herself. For some reason, she could only find the situation humorous.

… … …

Kaoru didn't like the way Sano's girlfriend watched her with all-too-knowing eyes. The suspicion in the med-students brown gaze constantly put Kaoru on edge, and the barbed comments and teasing words that were _just _inside the line of harsh caused Kaoru's prickly temper to rear its ugly head time and again. What made matters worse was the fact that Sano didn't seem even remotely aware of it, and added good-natured teasing remarks right back. If it hadn't been for Kenshin's calming remarks, Kaoru didn't know _what _she would have done.

Aoshi's silence seemed to add to Kaoru's mounting unease and frustration. At least if he _acknowledged _her, she would feel like Megumi's pointed remarks could be easily left forgotten. The way his gaze silently rose penetratingly to her own, however, did nothing to calm the butterflies flitting about in her stomach. Perhaps she _should _have been thankful Sano and Kenshin continued to remain oblivious at how deeply the elegant Megumi's words hit. Kaoru was more than happy to get away from the woman for a while.

Sano had taken Megumi out for a bite—much to everyone's surprise—so Kaoru stuck to Misao's side until her nerves had re-settled. They talked and grabbed a bite to eat when Aoshi and Kenshin were drawn away, then Kaoru later found herself agreeing to help the woman find Aoshi.

The fact that Kaoru was secretly hopeful that Kenshin was _with _Aoshi had nothing to do with it. Mostly.

"So how long do you think Megumi will stay?" Misao was asking while she and Kaoru roamed each of the four floors in their halls, looking for the tall young man. Students were flitting about, girls and boys in the co-ed dorm laughing, some flirting, and Kaoru noted at least _three _people walking from the bathrooms in nothing less than a towel covering their forms. Kaoru shook her head and blushed, wondering if she would be so bold if she was known as a girl on her floor, and didn't have anything to hide.

She seriously didn't think so—but maybe that was nerves talking.

"I don't know, but hopefully not the whole weekend. I don't think I can stand being mercilessly abused verbally for all of Friday, Saturday, and Sunday," Kaoru grumped under her breath.

She expected Misao to giggle. To tease her and dismiss the whole thing. Possibly to reassure her. She did _not _count on the quiet, oddly calculating silence that ensued at that moment. Feeling uneasy, Kaoru turned to glance at the shorter woman walking at her side, and noted Misao's expression of considered thought.

Kaoru felt her heart plummet, and her face go stark white. Misao had been there during Aoshi's snapped glances in her direction. Had she noted something? Had Kaoru not been conveying her life as a boy in ways which wouldn't make her friends suspect?

Kaoru _refused _to life a lonely life at the University, too afraid at discovery. That wasn't her, and she had already lead that kind of life style before. She didn't care if it was selfish. She wasn't going to lose her new friends now!

"It almost seemed as if Megumi had some kind of vendetta against you, which is kinda silly, huh?" Finally Misao laughed, and Kaoru couldn't help but feel immensely relieved.

"Yeah. Silly…" She breathed out, attempting to push away her thoughts of worry.

"But still…" Misao's tone of voice held a rare, serious note to it that drew Kaoru's attention, and she waited uneasily for her to continue.

"Still?" Kaoru hedged, hoping Misao said nothing, and thought about the moment no longer.

"Did you know Megumi at all before today?"

Kaoru silently shook her head. "No. I've never met her before in my _life. _Do you think maybe she's jealous? Because I'm Sano's roommate and get to see him every day, and she doesn't?"

_Please let her think it's that. Please! _Kaoru hoped desperately, unable to keep herself from mentally crossing her fingers.

Misao hummed in thought. "Yeah, that could be it. Lucky for me, I don't have to worry about Aoshi spending a ton of time with a roommate, because all the RA's get a room to themselves! They're so lucky!" Misao giggled, and both girls headed up the last flight of stairs that would take them to the fourth floor, and subsequently, Aoshi's room. "It also makes it nice when I want to spend _quality alone time _with him~."

Kaoru nearly choked, then was about to laugh, but thought better of it.

"Misao… Aoshi never really spends quality alone time with _anyone. _And he and Kenshin usually have to keep their doors open during the day, so it's not exactly a _private _rendezvous."

Misao sniffed, exiting the stairwell with a huff and making a beeline for Aoshi's dorm room door, zigzagging around meandering students and keeping a little added distance between herself and her now estranged friend Kaoru.

Kaoru wryly shook her head, but mentally applauded her ability to change the subject, and Misao's line of thought. She noticed Misao's form still as they turned a corner in the U-shaped building, and Kaoru's gaze lifted in time to see a very flustered Kenshin standing in Aoshi's doorway, hands held up almost defensively as four different girls surrounded him.

Kaoru's brows snapped together in irritation, and she told herself it was from Kenshin's uneasy expression as he tried to bodily lean away from the press of converging girls, and nothing to do with jealously that was rearing its ugly head.

"Hey Kenshin!" She cried out, making her way towards the poor red-head with Misao just a step ahead.

His attention shifted over, and Kaoru could see the lines of his body relaxing as his gaze lit on her and Misao walking towards him. "Kaoru. Miss Misao," he said in greeting, offering a smile as they stopped near him. One of the girl's shoulders slumped, and she walked away, followed by another after a short moment.

"Is Aoshi-sama in?" Misao asked hopefully, trying to peek through the open doorway for a better glance.

Kenshin chuckled quietly. "Yes, he is in. He is a little busy at the moment, though," Kenshin warned, not unkindly.

Misao grinned widely. "That's okay! We can wait! Right Kaoru?" She winked, and Kaoru shook her head and grinned.

"Right. Why don't we talk to Kenshin for a while instead?" Kaoru scanned the remaining two girls, watching her and Misao with open hostility, and nearly grinned. "We'll wait, of course, until you're finished helping your students, Kenshin."

Kaoru smiled politely, happily, and the expressions on the two girls' faces were priceless.

"Ah! Sure." He turned his attention back to the girls, and they knew their time was now limited. Misao decided to gently push past Kenshin and seat herself comfortably on Aoshi's large make-shift bed, folding her hands under her head and staring up at the ceiling while Aoshi continued his work.

Kaoru leaned comfortably against the wall, near enough to wait her turn.

"So… uh… I was wondering if the rumors were true. Have you served in the military? How old are you? Are you single?" One girl asked, and Kaoru felt herself grinding her teeth at the girl's impertinence.

"A-a-ah… so many questions!" Kenshin murmured, and Kaoru took pity on the guy.

"Don't you think he may not want to answer all that?" She finally asked, quietly, but noticed all their attention shifted her way at her softly spoken words.

"Wh-what?" The girl asked a bit breathily, turning to stare at Kaoru incredulously for having interrupted.

Kaoru sighed. Pushing away from the wall, she planted her hands on her hips, looking at the girl with a small, reproving frown. "Kenshin. You've _obviously _made him uneasy. Do you think everyone wants gossip flying around about them from not one, but _four _halls of students living in this building?" She shook her head. "Besides, if he _did _serve, then he would talk about it when he was _comfortable _talking about it. Even then, I can only imagine it would be to close friends, or family. _Think _before you ask personal questions!"

The girl stared, mouth parted slightly in a pale face, and suddenly she was flushing slightly, ducking her head and giving a small shrug. "Yeah. Sorry. I guess I wasn't thinking…" She was backing away slowly, and Kaoru felt a twinge of regret.

Kenshin moved toward Kaoru, offering a kind smile as he settled a warm, friendly hand on her shoulder, and turned to the two girls now uneasily backing away. "Innocent curiosity never hurt anyone, that it does not, but I must agree with Kaoru that some things are too personal for me to wish to talk about comfortably, that they are. I am glad, however, that you felt comfortable enough in coming to ask me about them." He looked at them kindly, and Kaoru almost rolled her eyes at the blushes that spread across both girls' faces. "I hope that means you will both continue to talk to me whenever you have need?"

They nodded enthusiastically.

Kenshin smiled, and his tone deepened. "Good. Now please remember to keep in mind the comfort levels of those with whom you are speaking. It will help with unnecessary misunderstandings."

The girls nodded once more, bid Kenshin good-bye, and hurried on their way back to their respective dorms. Kaoru let out a deep sigh at Kenshin's 'handling' of the situation. Those girls would think themselves in love with him, the way he went about that.

She frowned.

"Is something wrong?"

Startled, Kaoru turned to look at her RA, noting he was a little too close for comfort—his gaze a little too concerned. She quickly shook her head, and he smiled, eyes alight.

"That is good to know, that it is," he murmured, and she almost shivered at the rumbling tone, his hand moving to her back to usher her into Aoshi's room, before falling to his side once more.

"Those girls were annoying…" Misao breathed out, a small petulant frown to her lips.

Kenshin chuckled, and Aoshi finally turned away from whatever it was he had been doing.

"They were harmless, that they were."

Kaoru couldn't hold back her small scoff at his statement. "Kenshin, you need to be more assertive. Those girls will _never _leave you alone at this rate, and if you're uncomfortable with something, then you need to _say _so!"

Startled, Kenshin glanced over at Kaoru, expression somewhat confused. "This one did not think the situation called for assertiveness, that he did not, though your words were a relief to hear. Many of the students in this building need someone to talk to, that they do, and while Aoshi seems somewhat hard to go to, this one simply wishes to be of service to any and all who need it."

Startled by his lines of thinking, and feeling warm admiration welling within her at his words, Kaoru could only meet Kenshin's gaze and hope her expression was enough to tell him she understood.

He smiled, and Kaoru felt her heart ease.

"So Aoshi-sama! What were you up to?" Misao, a bundle of energy, was suddenly jumping up off the bed and making her way to Aoshi, who was still seated at his desk. She leaned over one of the man's broad shoulders, and Kaoru nearly giggled. For some reason Kaoru couldn't explain, Misao's nosiness where Aoshi was concerned seemed somehow socially acceptable.

Their group really _was _a strange one.

"Is that today's paper?" Misao asked, seemingly undeterred by the man's silence—even though she barely gave him a moment's breath to speak had he wished it. "Is that an assignment for a class? Hmm. 'Serial Murderer Switching Tactics.'" Misao shuddered visibly. Kaoru had turned to follow Kenshin to Aoshi's corner of the room when she suddenly halted mid-step, blood leaving her body unerringly cold as the room dipped and spun.

_No way…_

"Ah… Misao…" Kenshin moved toward the energetic girl, but she had already snatched the paper and was reading aloud with a firm intensity that quaked Kaoru to the core.

" 'Today, the third body of a young woman was found at Hashin Academy. While Hashin Academy is not the first undergraduate school to—"

"Misao, that is enough." Aoshi's firm voice was enough motive for Misao to stop reading aloud, but it didn't account for the confused look apparently visible in the girl's eyes as she stared at the stoic man in confusion. He held his hand out for the paper, and Misao wordlessly handed it to him.

"What is it? Why don't you want me to read it?"

Kaoru held her breath, attempting to get her heart to calm before she started hyperventilating. She turned on her heel, keeping her back to the occupants in the room as she tried to gather her bearings.

"It is not pleasant news, that it is not," Kenshin murmured quietly, and Kaoru hoped no one in the room was paying particular attention to her in that moment. "Especially not for…" He sighed, and Kaoru held her breath as she waited to see what it was he would say.

"Not for what?" Misao questioned, and Kaoru was both thankful and worried at a chance to hear the answer to that question.

"Not for young women going to University." It was Aoshi who answered.

Kaoru couldn't move.

"Why is that?" Misao wondered aloud, and Kaoru shut her eyes tightly.

She didn't want to know. She didn't want to hear this. She didn't want to _remember. _

She didn't want to _fear._

"There was a serial killer going after politicians not too long ago." It was Kenshin's kind, firm voice that answered the petite girl. For that, Kaoru was thankful. Did he sound nearer to her now, though? No. The room was small. "The same killing style of this serial killer has shifted this past month from politicians to a very specific type of young woman." There was more. Kaoru could hear it in his tone of voice, and was thankful he hadn't continued.

_Oh kami…_

"But… Hashin Academy… is only half an hour from here."

The blood in Kaoru's ears roared, and she wondered if she would faint.

_Kami, no…_

"Aa."

Kaoru couldn't breathe. Those girls. All those deaths. Were those deaths… because of _her?_

"Let's not worry about it for now." Kenshin. Saving the day. Diffusing the situation. Always with a smile. How she loved him for that.

"Aa."

Misao seemed slightly reluctant, but Kaoru grasped at the idea, calming herself and listening to their words on some new topic with relief. She forced herself to smile, nod, and laugh at the right moments, but internally she screamed.

She just _knew _she would have nightmares tonight…


	5. That Which Hides

Hey all. Sorry for the lengthy delay in up-dates. I won't even begin to out-line all that has taken place these past couple of months, just know that I am back, things are good again, and I will be trying to get back to up-dating regularly again. Thank you for your support, and I hope you continue to bear with me!

_I do not own these Rurouni Kenshin characters._

**P.S. **Do you all know Japan will soon be releasing _**another **_**Rurouni Kenshin **anime series? I am so happy and excited, I can't _wait! _I am truly hoping for some more RK fanfics after it's released, and a larger fan base. Fingers crossed!

**To Bare Witness**

**Ch. 5**

Kaoru used Sano and Megumi's time out and about to gather any necessary things she would need for her overnight stay in Kenshin's room that evening, wishing to avoid the couple completely. She still wasn't entirely comfortable around Megumi's penetrating stare, and as Kaoru shoved sleepwear and extra blankets into her duffle, she forced her mind toward worrying over Megumi so she wouldn't be thinking about what it would mean for her to stay in Kenshin's room alone that evening.

Also so her mind wouldn't keep replaying the news article Misao had unwittingly shared with her half an hour before. Heart pounding and body numb, Kaoru had to force her mind away from the forbidden subject repeatedly. She found her rapid movements were just enough to keep her mind forcefully blank—her body's movements focused solely on her task. When the sound of her duffle's zipper finalizing her actions finally took hold however, Kaoru found herself suddenly wishing she was packing for a much longer journey. Now her mind and body had nothing to focus on.

Panicking, Kaoru quickly scanned the room. Her breathing was shallow and coming much too quickly for her liking, but she couldn't focus on that. She was certain she would forget something—and she refused to return to this room once Sano and Megumi were back, lest she walk in on them. No. She would steer clear. _Very _clear.

Spotting her innocent, white pillow laying atop her twin bed, Kaoru made a mad dash to grab it—just in case—turned to her door, and couldn't get out of the room quickly enough. Locking the door behind her with hands that trembled only slightly, Kaoru then turned and made her way to Kenshin's room, pasting a small smile on her lips as she walked. She knocked at his door, knowing he was there because he had left Aoshi's room the same moment she had. Sure enough, she only had to wait a short moment before the door swung open to reveal a rumpled Kenshin, a small smile for a greeting as he opened the door wider to let her in.

The simple sight of him, along with his easy mannerisms, had Kaoru relaxing in no time, and she smiled with a relieved sigh, stepping into his dorm room as he quietly closed the door behind her.

"I moved the twin mattresses apart so you might be more comfortable, that I did," He began, and Kaoru was already grinning sheepishly upon realizing her worries concerning this night—with this oblivious young man—had been needless worries after all. This was Kenshin, after all, and he was nothing but a gentleman.

Also, he believed her to be a _male _friend. If he was at all interested in his own gender, he had done nothing to make it undoubtedly known. Then again, he never showed very much romantic interest in any manner—though he was almost charmingly kind to a fault. As Kenshin moved to help take her bag and pillow, placing both on one of the twin mattresses in his room, he then turned to her with such a warm expression that Kaoru had to stifle the sudden hitching of her breath.

For a man who never showed romantic interest of any kind, he sure knew how to make her heart pound. His eyes captured hers, and her breath halted in her chest and caught in her throat. Returning his stare, she again wondered at the RA that could seemingly hold her attention so completely—and look at her as if he saw all she encompassed, not simply a face or a name.

"You have been uneasy tonight, that you have." His eyes swam with unspoken emotion and caught in the light. Kaoru couldn't find her voice—didn't know what to say even if she regained use of her tongue.

"It's okay. I am certain Sano and Megumi will not do anything in your room while you are away, that they will not. Sanosuke basically said it himself, after you left, if that is what has you so uneasy?"

Kenshin moved to the unoccupied desk in one corner of his room were a lonesome burner was plugged into the wall, a small tea kettle on it. "Would you prefer tea, or hot chocolate?"

Humorous at the situation—Kenshin's accuracy missing one mark and hitting another—Kaoru couldn't help but chuckle and shake her head at the situation. Seeing curiosity in Kenshin's expression as he held the hot tea kettle poised over one of two mugs, Kaoru laughed louder again, and moved towards him.

"Let's see what kind of tea you have," She murmured, a gentle smile across her lips as she set about helping him. Well, if she couldn't share one fear with him, why not focus on the other? "You really don't think Sano will do anything? It… _is _Sanosuke Sagara we are speaking about, after all." Her tone turned dry, her expression anything but amused.

Kenshin chuckled lightly beside her. "That is true," he agreed, but upon seeing the beginnings of panic in Kaoru's gaze he quickly went on to reassure her. "Sanosuke all but gave his word to me that he wouldn't sully your room in any way, that he did. He did, however, reiterate that he and Megumi would appreciate nothing more than a little time alone to get reacquainted. If they wish for one night to stay up late, talking away from any prying eyes or listening ears, then I suppose it is quite a gift for two friends to grant them this."

Blushing slightly at Kenshin's easy words involving her in his talk of selflessness, Kaoru turned away from him to pick out a tea bag and patiently waited for Kenshin to fill her cup before filling his own.

"So what would you like to do tonight?" Kenshin called over to her as she made her way to the twin mattress with her bag and pillow placed across it, sitting down and folding her legs under her.

"Um…I don't know. I guess I didn't really think about it. What do…" She paused, heart flipping over itself as she caught herself mid-sentence. _What do boys normally do on sleepovers? _She couldn't ask _that. _How suspicious would that be? Unless she claimed she never had a sleepover before. Still, she didn't want that.

"What do you want to do?" She asked instead, turning her face away and lifting her cup to her lips to blow on her hot tea.

"Hmm…" Kenshin looked around his room as if in thought. "I suppose there isn't much to do indoors. I have playing cards, and we could watch a movie, if you prefer. I'm afraid I don't have much to do, that I do not." He chuckled, looking awkward and helpless for a moment as he rubbed at the back of his neck with the hand that wasn't holding his tea. Kaoru smiled, finding his sheepishness and uncertainty adorable. It was nice, seeing this sometimes vulnerable side of her friend. It was nice to know she wasn't the only one around feeling unsure or lost from time to time.

They settled on playing cards, situating themselves on the floor and setting their hot beverages within arm's reach. They played game after game, time and again, Kaoru getting into the heat of battle and triumphantly crowing her victory as Kenshin bemoaned his loss more often than not. Deciding Crazy Eights, Slap Jack, and Go Fish were too easy, they graduated on to Rummy, Speed, and War.

After Kaoru's third near-victory at war, she could no longer contain her jubilee and laughter erupted from her chest as she clutched her stomach and rolled on the floor.

"Sheesh! You're really bad at this, Kenshin! Are you _sure _you've been shuffling well? Maybe it's the cards…" Tears sprung to her eyes and she wiped at them, humor causing her body to tremble.

The red-headed RA pouted, glaring down at his last three cards as his lips parted a hair so he could mumble, "Usually I am quite good at this…that I am."

Kaoru guffawed, laughing harder still. _"Usually? _Kenshin, I have beaten you nine times out of ten! I am really starting to believe you are the _worst _card player I have ever encountered! You had better not be letting me win! I won't ever forgive you, you know!"

Kenshin mumbled something to the negative effect—he was not letting her win, and Kaoru managed to control herself just enough to put down another card with his.

Hers was higher.

They both flipped again.

His was the higher of the two—a measly seven to a five.

They flipped again and he won again. He still had a Jack.

"Alright, four cards remaining. Give it your best shot, Himura!" Kaoru threatened, fingers running over the almost entirely full deck of cards in her hand. He sent her a look and she snorted, unable to hold in her laughter, but held her breath so they might try again.

_Flip. _

Tie. Two tens. Their eyes lifted and met. It would be all up to this _war._

"I…de…clare…_war!" _Kaoru shouted, holding her breath to see a nine appear at the last of her cards. Worried eyes traveled to Kenshin's cards, and a smile twitched her lips. Kaoru's deep blue eyes swung up to catch a glimpse of the expression on Kenshin's face. Not once had he shown any anger or frustration at losing so many times in a row. She wondered if this time would be any different.

"_Oro?"_

His expression was priceless, his eyes large in his face as he sheepishly looked at Kaoru, then back down at his losing cards.

A two. The lowest card of the deck just happened to be the card he finished with.

"I guess these cards don't like me after all…" He bemoaned, head seeming to totter on his shoulders as his goofy expression intensified.

Kaoru couldn't hold it in any longer. Tears of laughter streamed out the corners of her eyes and she flopped to the floor again as she attempted to cover her mouth, and the sound of her own hilarity. "I honestly don't know who would be worse at this—you, or Sano," she cried out suddenly, moving her arms down to clutch and her now aching belly.

"I don't think I would like to find out, that I don't," Kenshin murmured quite pathetically, scratching at the side of his head as if he couldn't comprehend _how _it was possible for him to lose so many times in a row.

Kaoru laughed all the harder, flinging an arm out at the hilarity of it. Icy dread filled her not a moment later as her forearm made contact with a small object. Turning her head as if in a daze, she turned wide eyes and gaping mouth in the general direction of her blunder before her second steeping cup of tea spilled and searing pain shot up her arm.

"_Kaoru!" _

It seemed to her that everything happened in slow motion. She watched as the cup teetered and spilled its steaming contents over her arm to pool in an ever-growing puddle on the thin carpet on the floor. Kenshin was suddenly crouched over her, one hand cradling her head to pull her away from the hot spill nearing her ear, his other hand gently cupping her elbow and lifting her burned arm away from the spill to quickly blow on it. Kaoru stared, her mind attempting to realign itself with what took place, along with Kenshin's close proximity. His eyes were lined and serious as he looked over her injury, his lips tugging down into a deep frown even as he continuously blew on her burned flesh. His thick red hair hung over one shoulder, brushing across one of Kaoru's cheeks. He shifted their position and Kaoru found her head pressed to his shoulder, her nose near the crook of his neck, and Kaoru dizzily held her breath at their near embrace. Suddenly she was able to breathe and she inhaled the spicy, clean scent of him, nearly swooning in his careful hold.

"Kaoru. Are you hurt?" The deep timbre of Kenshin's voice rumbled over and through her, sending shivers down her spine. She tried to push herself up into a sitting position, ducking her head to hide the deep flush of her cheeks. Upon realizing her intent, Kenshin assisted her, his hands hovering over her form. He was reluctant to remove the hand lightly grasping her burned arm from behind her elbow, fingertips refusing to leave her skin.

"I'm fine, Kenshin. It was just a small burn. The pain is lessening already." She smiled her reassurance, but his worried gaze never left her face. She made a move to soak up the spill, and suddenly Kenshin was on his feet, moving to his armoire and procuring an injury kit. Kaoru raised an eyebrow, and Kenshin shifted sheepishly on his feet.

"An RA must be prepared for anything, that he must. May I look at your arm, please?"

Kaoru quickly brought her arm up and cradled it to her chest, narrowed eyes gazing at Kenshin suspiciously.

"It's just a small burn, Kenshin. Nothing serious."

Kenshin refused to heed her words however, or the slight glare she was giving him. He smiled, walking toward her without any hesitance in his step. Kaoru continued to lean farther away from him the nearer he came.

"Seriously Kenshin. The skin is just a little red, that's all!"

"Never-the-less, an injury is an injury, and each needs to be treated." Kaoru was on her feet now, backing away until the backs of her knees hit one of the twin beds. She plopped down on it, eyes wide as Kenshin knelt before her. His smile was gone now, and his expression was completely serious as he turned his gaze toward her. Wordlessly, Kaoru released her arm and held it out to him, frowning in confusion as she turned her gaze away from that expression of his.

"Thank you."

Swallowing past the lump in her throat, Kaoru jumped when, a moment later, she felt coolness spread over the burn on her forearm. She turned curiously back to the man before her to see him now rubbing a cooling ointment over her red skin.

"Sorry. Perhaps I should have warned you. This ointment will help soothe your burn, that it will. I will bandage your arm so the medicine can sink in, and unwrap it before we turn in for the night. Your arm should be able to breathe tonight, that it should."

Peering into Kenshin's first aide kit, Kaoru watched as he grabbed gauze and began to wrap it around her arm. His movements were precise—even. His hands were gentle, his grip firm as he wrapped her with practiced ease.

"You've done this before…" The words were a breath of air on Kaoru's lips, and she didn't realize she said the words aloud until Kenshin's entire body froze in its movements. The air was suddenly abuzz with tensed energy, and Kaoru felt her muscles bunch together at the uneasy feeling now permeating the room. Her heart pounded, and she desperately attempted to slow it.

Slowly the intensity in the room began to lessen, and Kenshin bent his head over his task, moving to finish his wrapping job once again—more meticulous in his actions this time.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean—"

"It's alright," Kenshin murmured, and Kaoru's heart flipped within her chest. He lifted his head to offer her a small smile, and Kaoru stared, scrutinizing his look and trying to see if it truly was okay or not.

"Kenshi—"

"I am well-versed with injuries of every kind. Quite a few of the whispered rumors around here are truer than many could know." Kenshin's voice was so soft Kaoru had to lean closer to hear it. Her heart reached out to him, and Kenshin studied her face before his smile turned bitter, and he shook his head as he tied off her wound, then began placing everything back in his kit. "Do not feel pity or sympathy for this one, who is unworthy of the sentiment. I have spilled much blood in my past, and have seen many more spill their blood for causes they believe to be just."

Kenshin attempted to stand, but Kaoru reached forward and grabbed hold of his shirt. He paused, confusion bubbling in his amethyst eyes as he turned to stare at her.

"Kenshin…" She didn't know what to say. What _could _she say?

His expression turned somewhat pained, but he still managed a smile. "It's okay now, that it is. That kind of bloodshed has long since left my life. I atone for the lives I have taken by doing all I can to help those around me." He grinned, stood, and settled a firm hand on her shoulder. "I do not know how most soldiers cope with their pasts, but I hope that one day, I might find peace."

Kaoru reached up, and grasped the hand on her shoulder as if she could pour all her strength and belief into him during such an action. Kenshin grinned and nodded, then quickly turned away, taking his time in putting his first aid kit away.

"I don't suppose… you changed your mind in staying here for the night…?" His hesitant voice wafted over at her from behind the door of his armoire.

Kaoru's temper snapped. She rose to her feet in one swift movement, both fists clenched at her sides.

"_What? _Why would you ask such a thing like that? You're still _Kenshin, _aren't you? You said you wish to atone for the lives you have taken, and I believe you can do it! I've never met someone so—" Cutting her words off, realizing how embarrassing they were, Kaoru forgot all about her embarrassment as Kenshin peeked out at her from behind his armoire, his eyes warm and understanding.

"You are the most compassionate person I've come across, Kenshin, and I—I really admire you." She blushed, turning her back on him in case he saw. Suddenly he was behind her.

"Thank you…Kaoru…"

Her blush deepened, and she tried to remedy the situation by turning around and lightly punching Kenshin's shoulder with her good arm. His eyes widened comically, then he blinked and let out a laugh, grabbing her head in a one-armed hug, which she laughingly accepted before jerking out of his hold and elbowing him in the ribs.

"We're friends, ne, Kenshin?" She asked finally, when the roughhousing that commenced finally dissipated.

His eyes were soft and filled with a warmth that gleamed with untold happiness. The light of his gaze betrayed a firm protectiveness that showed just how much having a true friend meant to him.

"We are friends."

Kaoru smiled, her heart falling for him all over again.

Kaoru and Kenshin put away their cards and cleaned the spill after that, spending the next hour talking and joking with one another. The sun had long since departed in the sky, and finally Kenshin lifted his gaze to his bedside clock.

"It is getting pretty late, that it is. We should probably get ready for bed now."

So many things seemed wrong with that statement at first. Remembering who Kaoru was talking to, and the circumstances concerning Kenshin and herself, Kaoru simply laughed at herself and nodded her agreement. "Sure Kenshin, I'll just—"

Again she had to stop herself. How weird would it seem to him if she left to change? And now that she was staying in Kenshin's room tonight, she _certainly _didn't wish him to recall the fact that he wished to see her scars.

"I'll just get my stuff," She murmured quietly instead, turning pale as she gave Kenshin her back. She heard drawers opening, and fabric rustling, and her heart leapt to her throat.

_No way…_

Unable to think of any reason _not _to, Kaoru surreptitiously turned her body slightly, glancing at Kenshin from the corner of her eyes as he rummaged, topless, for what she hoped was a shirt. Seeing the pajama pants he pulled out instead however, had Kaoru flushing a brilliant shade of magenta as she quickly turned away from the sight of his leanly muscled form. Her mouth ran dry. There wasn't an ounce of fat on him.

"Kaoru?"

Snapping from her thoughts, Kaoru quickly grabbed her pajama pants, stripped out of her pants, and stuffed her legs into the cotton material as fast as she was able, keeping her back to Kenshin all the while. She decided she would sleep in the shirt she had on.

"Yeah, Kenshin?" She feigned indifference with her tone even while her heart sped a mile a minute. She turned to him, polite question in her gaze, only to be confused by his mannerisms, his _still shirtless _and well-defined back turned toward her as a small dusting of pink tinged his cheeks. She tilted her head to one side, wondering at his sudden silence.

"O-oro? Ah… I have extra blankets…if you have need of them…"

Shaking her head, wondering at her silly RA, Kaoru pulled her own extra blanket from her bag and settled it over the extra twin mattress Kenshin had already fitted with extra sheets. "I'll be just fine, Kenshin, I brought my own."

As Kenshin left to brush his teeth, Kaoru mentally applauded herself for already having planned ahead, brushing her teeth and taking care of any nightly activities before she headed to Kenshin's room. Thinking ahead once more, she removed the bandage so that her burn might breathe during the night. She then settled under the covers and closed her eyes, getting comfortable and feeling the effects of how late it was.

Kenshin returned, eyes landing on Kaoru's bandage-free arm before he met her eyes and gave a single nod of his head.

"I'll be turning off the lights now. Is there anything you need?"

Smiling her consent, and murmuring that she had everything she needed, Kaoru breathed a happy sigh of relief at the feeling of safety she received from being so near this man. She was finally made aware of exactly how quiet Himura Kenshin could be. A shiver traversed her form until she heard his covers being drawn back, and flimsy bedsprings squeaking their protest as he got into bed. Kaoru sighed, a small smile on her lips, and rolled over on her side.

"Goodnight, Kenshin."

"…Goodnight, Kaoru."

**. . . . . . .**

_Blood. So much blood. _

_A man's last scream._

_Night air tainted with the smell of copper—the smell of life destroyed._

_A young man's ever-smiling face, as, with a flick of his bloodied sword he once again made the blade clean._

A whimper, followed by a gasp drifted across the quiet of the room.

Two bright irises immediately snapped open as Kenshin strained to listen for that which woke him in the first place.

_The smiling man turned, his gaze piercing her—to her soul. Suddenly Kaoru couldn't move—couldn't draw breath into her frozen lungs._

"_You saw that, did you? Well, Shishio said we can't have any witnesses." _

_The young man had a boy's face and a boy's young voice. He looked too innocent to be a killer. The blood on his face, on his sword, and on the ground said otherwise, however._

"_Wh-wha…?" Trembling, forgetting almost all her kendo training at the sight of death and blood, made Kaoru nearly fall to the ground and retch._

"_It really is too bad. Oh, well," The boy-man lamented, shrugging his shoulders as if making the decision to kill someone was an every day occurrence, and didn't require much thought. _

"_No…"_

"No…" The word was a breath of air. Sweat drenched Kaoru's form from brow to the tips of her toes.

Across the room, muscles tensed at the sound of Kaoru's labored breathing. At Kaoru's second whispered _no, _Kenshin's eyes narrowed and slanted sharply to the side, his irises a burning gold.

_The young man smiled, and Kaoru felt icy fear trickle along her scalp. Suddenly he was running at her at such a speed Kaoru felt blind to it all. Her eyes widened, and she turned to run—to throw herself to the side and out of the sword's path that moved too quickly to see._

Kaoru's throat constricted, and a garbled half whimper, half sob left her mouth. Kenshin was up and out of his bed in an instant, crouching over her bedside. He hesitated, anger at the nightmares that plagued her, and worry at how to wake her warring within his soul. He reached out to her, but didn't touch her, panic and uncertainty in his gaze.

"Kaoru…?" He whispered soothingly. "Kaoru… please wake up…"

Body jerking suddenly, Kaoru's body bowed backward at impossible limits as her mouth opened in a silent scream. Kenshin cursed, grabbed her shoulders, saying her name over and over as sweat dripped from her face and terror and pain lit her sleeping expression.

_Burning pain seared along her back, and Kaoru cried out as her flesh wept crimson blood. A curse permeated the night behind her, and with tears shining brightly in her eyes, she turned to the young man behind her, seeing a small frown of intense concentration on his face as he fiddled with his broken shoe._

"_Well that wasn't supposed to happen. How am I supposed to run now?" _

_Whistles sounded. Police. Shouts echoed from all directions as Kaoru lay weakly in the street. The boy sighed regretfully, his grip on his sword tightening for a moment, before he shook his head and turned to make his get away._

"_I will find you, don't worry. Master Shishio would be very angry if I let you live, now. Catch you later, then."_

_And he was gone. She was saved seconds later—but it never felt as though she had truly been saved. She never felt safe from that moment on. Even as police uniforms swarmed her, and Saito gave her a new name—a new gender—the serial murderer was still out there._

_And he wouldn't rest until he killed her._

"Kaoru! _Kaoru! Kao-ru!"_

With a gasp, tear-streaked eyes opened wide to reveal the deepest of blue depths. Stark terror still alive in her expression—in her gaze—Kenshin's grip tightened on her shoulders as his head dipped and he hid his golden gaze from view.

"You were having a nightmare."

His voice was deep—rough. Kaoru's panicked mind only barely registered the change. Shakily she sat up, her gaze darting around every corner of the room, and Kenshin sat on the edge of her bed, muscles taut and poised to strike if any of her demons were to manifest in that moment.

Kaoru shook and trembled, weakly grasping at Kenshin's strong shoulders as he wrapped an arm under her and helped her sit up, supporting most of her weight for himself.

"Ken…shin…?"

It was a dream. A nightmare. That was all it was, and Kaoru repeated the mantra over and over, hoping to calm her nerves. Oh how sheepishly humiliated she felt. First Sano, and now Kenshin? She hadn't had a nightmare this intense for a long while. Her breathing came in shallow pants. What would Kenshin think of her?

"Were your nightmares created by an overactive imagination, or were they based on something real?" That dark, unrelenting tone was there, and Kaoru shivered suddenly as if cold. She knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that Kenshin wouldn't let this go easily. Still, she tried anyway.

"Kenshin…" Her tone was calmer now. If only there was some way to reassure him…

His grip on her tightened, and Kaoru gasped.

"Are your demons real, Kaoru? Not many have shown this kind of fear and lived to tell of it."

An immense shudder quaked her form, and she knew that was all the answer he needed. A whimper escaped, and she felt foolish for letting him see her like this. Again, she had been caught off-guard. Again she had done something that quite possibly might lead to her discovery and death.

"Kenshin…" There was fear in her voice, and Kenshin wrapped Kaoru's body in his arms and began rocking her, hiding his face in her shoulder, reassuring her with his touch.

He was so warm.

"I am here, that I am."

With that one sentence, all Kaoru's pent up emotions caused her tensed muscles to completely slacken. For the first time since that fateful night, Kaoru felt safe.

Cherished.

Protected.

"Nothing will get you here…" He murmured against the side of her face, and Kaoru's exhausted mind finally slipped towards true sleep.

"Thank you…Kenshin…"


	6. Withholding Information

Hey all! I'm back and in action finally! Right as I am _hopefully _about to get a new job. Hopefully. We shall see! I have an interview tomorrow, so send prayers and thoughts my way, please!

Anyway, I really didn't want to go into too much detail about what Kenshin does and does _not _know. But, since everyone is beginning to wonder if he's gay… here's the next chapter! Hopefully it'll clear a few things up for you, but not all. If everything became clear we would no longer have a story, would we? ~.^

Enjoy!

_I do not own these Rurouni Kenshin characters._

**To Bare Witness**

(I really should have put a 'the' in there. Oh, well.)

_**Chapter 6**_

"_Report."_

The dry tone on the other line was somehow able to maintain both boredom and impatience in that singular word. Kenshin Himura blinked, gaze swiveling around the vacant area of roof very few had access to. This was the place he chose for these phone conversations—lest any of the students overhear. Heaving a soft sigh, Kenshin slowly and calculatingly walked toward the edge of the roof, stopping just short of anyone's sight if they happened to be passersby and gazing up at the sky from four floors below.

"There have been sixteen attempts at murder this past month alone. Pardon. Sixteen attempts _recorded. _There may be more if victims refused or have not had the opportunity to step forward."

"_Hn…" _Came the deep voice from the other end, lazy yet calculatingly soft.

"Of the sixteen victims to come forward, Aoshi and I have noticed a distinct pattern. Each victim is female. Approximately 5'4 in height. Long, dark hair. Physically lean or fit. Ages of the victims very from eighteen to twenty-four. There is also a pattern of location. Most attacks are taking place at other universities or academies within a two-hundred mile radius. Lately that radius has been honing in on our location. Each attack made on the women who survived were attacked unaware, or from behind. Not one of them saw their attacker. In the past three months, there have been a total of five deaths of women also fitting this description. If their attacker was this very same serial killer, one can only assume these girls saw their attacker, and thus were sentenced to death."

"_Hnn…" _Came the self-same tone again, this time with an added impression the speaker was unimpressed by this information. _"That is all?" _

If Kenshin Himura didn't know any better, he would swear the man on the other end of the line was laughing at him. Kenshin nearly growled his frustration aloud.

"With all due respect, it would be much easier for both Aoshi and myself to gather the appropriate amount of information if we were not stuck at this University, playing the part of both student and resident assistant."

There. He said it—what had really been on his mind. If there was a serial killer out there with a penchant for running first politicians, then college age women through with swords, Kenshin honestly believed he would better serve out in the field. He could track the mad man down, and prevent other needless deaths from taking place. He did not understand why their base of operations had to be _here._

A slow inhalation was heard on the line, followed by the lazy sound of a good stretch. _"If that is the conclusion of your report?"_

Kenshin's hands fisted at his sides before he forced his stance to relax—the muscles in his shoulders to ease. Rubbing his free hand over his eyes, he sighed. He had not received a good night's rest the past couple of nights, and was honestly glad that Sano's girlfriend would be returning to med school later that day. It had been a long weekend, and for some reason Kenshin hadn't fully been able to completely relax.

"Not quite. If we do not have a copy-cat on our hands, one can only assume the killer is looking for someone. The murdered politicians were stabbed in the very same place as the female victims. Either someone is copying our original serial killer, or there is only one killer and he has switched victims. Again, if that is the case our best assumption is that he is looking for a particular girl who meets the description I told you. From the wide and varied way he is searching for her, there is no personal connection. Perhaps he glimpsed this girl, or she caught a glimpse of him, and now he must finish what he started."

"_Hnnn…" _

Drawn out, Kenshin could only wonder if he finally touched upon something. His grip on his cell tightened, and he waited with baited breath for a reply.

"_We just received information that the stab wounds from the late politicians exactly match the wounds of the female victims."_

Gaze narrowed to slits, Kenshin's voice deepened to an angered, lethal tone. "And just when were you going to tell us?" He hissed into the mouthpiece of his phone.

A grunt. _"Our factions have agreed to work together for the sake of this case, Himura. You forget—there was no connection between my case and yours until now. No proof of cold, hard facts, anyway." _

Pursing his lips in displeasure, Kenshin again had the feeling Saitou was withholding some pertinent information from him.

"If you aren't telling me everything, Saitou…" Kenshin practically growled the words.

"_Relax, Battousai." _Kenshin flinched. _"You and Shinomori are supposed to be the best in your respective divisions. I have complete faith he will collect all the needed information, and you will close up this case with clean efficiency." _

If Kenshin heard the sardonic undertone, he decided not to comment upon it. Reporting back to and gaining further information from Saitou _still _didn't sit well with him.

"_You have your orders, Battousai. You are to remain in that University with Shinomori, and you are to complete the task handed to you. As far as information gathering and piecing together the rest of this case, I suggest you hurry. Time is of the essence, and your killer is closing in."_

Saitou didn't even have the good graces to say goodbye. There was a dial tone, then Kenshin's phone bleeped and cut off his side of the connection in return. The red-head stood on the roof for a moment, feeling now more than ever that there were aspects to this case Saitou was aware of that he was missing. With a deeply indrawn breath, Kenshin decided it was time to get back to work. While he and Shinomori had never worked a case together before, it was time Kenshin attempted to find out his _own _information. It was time to start pouring over newspaper articles like Shinomori was doing.

Lost in thought, Kenshin wasn't aware he had left the dorm roof until his feet brought him to Aoshi'a door. With a heavy sigh, Kenshin knocked once before entering. Something unsettling in the pit of Kenshin's stomach refused to allow Kenshin to return to his own room. Lately Kenshin couldn't seem to stop thinking about the young resident—Kaoru. There was something about his friend that Kenshin couldn't quite put his finger on, but it had been consuming him more often as of late—especially these past two nights when Kaoru had stayed in his room.

"Himura."

Blinking, Kenshin returned from far away thoughts and offered an awkward grin to the stoic man rifling through papers at his desk. Closing the door behind him, Kenshin moved farther into the room before leaning against the wall a few feet from Aoshi's desk.

"I just got off the phone with Saitou," Kenshin began, getting straight to business.

Aoshi's gaze flicked up to Kenshin's, then darted back down to the papers before him. "Aa."

"He didn't have much information for us, that he did not."

Aoshi's laptop was open and next to him on his desk. He started typing away for a moment, then hit enter. "Aa."

"Do you think he's withholding information from us?"

Pausing, Aoshi finally turned to face the red-haired man in his room, expression unreadable. "Did he give that impression?"

Kenshin paused, thinking back to it. With a self-depreciating chuckle, he passed it off as nothing and Aoshi turned back to what he had been doing before. Deciding not to interrupt, Kenshin headed to the door to let himself out. He was reaching for the handle when another thought occurred to him, and he turned back to Aoshi once again.

"Do you think Kaoru is keeping something from us?"

Fingers flying over the keys of his keyboard, Aoshi once again froze his movements and turned to face Kenshin, face unreadable.

Feeling somewhat sheepish for his random question, Kenshin couldn't help but wonder why the thought consumed him. It was not healthy, that it was not.

"Himura?"

"Something doesn't sit right. I can almost put my finger on it, but then the thought is gone, or there is something to distract me from that line of thinking."

"Hn."

So like Saitou—a man of many words.

"It's almost as if—"

Aoshi interrupted him. "Does this have any pertinence to our case?"

"Oro?! Ah—no, I do not believe so…"

"Then it matters not." Turning back to his work, Aoshi presented his back to Kenshin in clear dismissal.

Taking a hint, Kenshin turned to leave once more before Aoshi's soft words stopped him.

"What was the conclusion of your report?"

"Pardon?" Glancing over his shoulder, confusion bubbled forth in Kenshin's lavender eyes.

"Your report. What was the conclusion you came to?"

Turning to face Aoshi once more, Kenshin briefly wondered what point Shinomori was getting at. "The descriptions of the killer's victims suggest he is looking for something; or more specifically, _someone. _The amount of victims left alive suggests he has yet to find what he is looking for. Saitou confirmed our killer is the same serial killer whom had been going after politicians all summer. Seeing how there are so many female victims, it is easy to surmise there is no intimate connection between killer and victim, or he wouldn't be making so many mistakes."

"Why are those other victims mistakes?"

Why was Aoshi asking him questions they both already knew the answer to?

"They are mistakes because the killer rarely follows through. Most of his victims are still alive."

"And the women he killed?"

Shaking his head, Kenshin was once again mystified at what Shinomori was getting at.

"He probably felt he had to kill them. Perhaps they saw him, or knew too much."

Shinomori nodded, and Kenshin felt as though he was left behind in the dust. What was it? What was he missing?

"I wonder…" Aoshi drawled out, attention once more on a news article before him. "I wonder if that is truly the reason those women had to die. If, perhaps, that very same reason is why some other unfortunate woman is being hunted down—why she _also _must die."

Paling, Kenshin numbly moved toward the desk to see what news article Aoshi was holding. It was a report on the first known attack of a woman matching the description of all the other female victims. She was the first—but got away. Why? _Why _was she the first victim that went against this particular serial killer's method?

And _why _wasn't she dead?

"Where would one hide, if a serial killer was after that person?" Aoshi continued, leaning back in his chair as Kenshin perused the article, reading quickly from start to finish. "How would one kill someone when there are hundreds of surrounding witnesses? How would a killer be certain their victim was without a doubt, the woman they caught a single glimpse of?"

"You think she's here…" Kenshin breathed, eyes growing wide. It would certainly make sense—and it _was _a good cover, so long as the serial killer didn't want eye witnesses. The facts were too hard to refute. He and Shinomori were placed here for a _reason. _No wonder Saitou always seemed to be laughing at him. He was withholding the most important piece of information—information he challenged them to find on their own. Kenshin almost growled with his fury. There were lives at stake here! The killer was closing in! What if this information came too late? He had been wasting time looking into this unknown killer when he _should _have been focused on finding and protecting the young woman he was after!

"I have to _find _her!" He seethed, eyes flashing amber as his hands gripped aimlessly for the sword he was not carrying. He moved toward the exit, ready to tear the University to bits in his efforts.

"Himura."

"_What?"_

A calm, calculatingly cool look was his response.

"_Hi-mu-ra." _It was coldly articulated—enough to calm the raging inferno clamoring for Kenshin's attention.

He turned to face the stoic man before him. _"What."_

Aoshi arched a single brow. "The killer's first victim comes from a very traditional Japanese family. She is an assistant master in Kendo, teaching her father's family style: Kamiya Kasshin Ryu."

Kenshin turned to face his comrade once again, soaking up every seed of information Shinomori had to offer.

"She is an only child—has no family. I wonder… what she had to do when this information was released in the paper?"

Eyes narrowing, Kenshin was finally ready and able to put the dots together. "She would have to change her name. Hide." Nodding his thanks, Kenshin turned once more to the door. He wondered why every part of his being was telling him to _hurry. _To _find her._

As Kenshin turned the handle to exit the room, Aoshi inclined his head. "I wondered why the killer didn't take into account the fact that she might have cut, or colored her hair."

The door paused after opening a two inch gap.

"Shinomori?"

"If the girl's life was truly important to her—which, judging by her kendo school, it is—I often wondered why our killer would not think she would cut or color her hair."

"Coming from a very traditional family—"

"Aa. That is it. There lies your answer, Kenshin."

_Kenshin. _Shinomori called him _Kenshin, _not _Battousai. _His eyes widened in no small amount of surprise.

"You already found the one you need to protect—you just haven't consciously realized it, yet." This time, Aoshi smirked. Heart rising up in his throat, Kenshin briefly wondered what the other man was getting at, and why it made him so nervous suddenly.

"_O-oro?!"_

"How would a young, traditional Japanese girl hide if life was something she valued above all else? If cutting her hair never crossed her mind? If the heart of a samurai lives on through her, passed down from her late father?"

Gaping, Kenshin slowly shook his head in complete silence, though internally he felt an extreme sense of foreboding settling in his heart and stomach. He knew the answer already. Something innate within him simply _knew. _He didn't know enough to put words to it, though. There was still hesitance—that sense of doubt he carries in his mind.

_But he knows. He knows even if he hadn't completely been able to openly admit it. Not to himself—not to anyone. Why? For her safety? Oh, kami. It must be true._

Judging from the gleam in Shinomori's knowing eyes, it _had _to be true.

"I wonder how she does it—hiding with such a well-placed disguise. After all, there is one absolute truth: the killer is solely looking for a young woman."

Kenshin paled, his grip tightening on the knob of the door. Bowing his head, he made an effort to control his breathing. He made a vow to protect, this is true. He could not lose his new sense of calm this job brought to him, though. He didn't want to scare the students. He didn't want to case fear in the hearts of his new friends.

_In the heart of…_

"Still…" Shinomori's musing brought Kenshin out of the darkness of his mind. "I do wonder how a woman like that survived. It's bound to have left… _scars."_

With that one word, Kenshin's hold on his barely controlled temper _snapped. _Amethyst eyes bled to a burnished gold as Kenshin honed in on the back of the door inches from his face. His glare could strip wood. Muscles tensed, it took more control than Kenshin wanted to admit to slowly open the door the rest of the way and make his tightly clenched fist release the doorknob.

"_No one else can know."_

Blessedly, the fourth floor hallway was empty. No one would overhear this conversation.

"Aa."

As Kenshin made his way down the hall, his mind began working a mile a minute. Cataloguing every moment he spent together with Kaoru—it all began to make sense. His natural affinity to stay near her was his subconscious telling him to _protect her. _Somehow, some part of him had known she was in danger. He didn't know if it was her body language, the trepidation he sometimes saw in her expressive blue eyes, or the way they seems to perfectly work harmoniously. Whatever it was, he would never forget the soft whimpers she made when dreams haunted her.

Something about her called to him in a new way that night. He should have realized right away that the sounds she made were nowhere near masculine. How his mind could be so oblivious—yet his heart and soul were trying to prepare him all this while.

Coming to a halt before a door, Kenshin lifted his hand to knock without even realizing his actions. Tensing, he stood perfectly still as surprised amethyst eyes stared in complete bafflement at the new problem to arise.

Two names rested on the door. Kaoru 'Kato,' and Sanosuke Sagara. With a loud groan, Kenshin closed his eyes and turned, lightly banging his head on the cement wall.

How was he supposed to behave around her _now?_

"Kenshin?" The softly spoken, somewhat breathy voice was _far _from masculine. How could it have taken him so long to recognize such a thing?

Turning, Kenshin noticed how soft her face looked—how open her expression was; the sincerity in her gaze. He noting all these things—catalogued them unconsciously. Yet somehow he had also been blinded—not by her act or any certain words, but perhaps by himself.

Color swiftly rising to his cheeks, Kenshin could only shrink into the wall at his back. Heart pounding, nerves buzzing, he was only able to voice one thing.

"_O-o-o-oro?!"_


End file.
